10/08/08 Wine Q&A

Many readers wrote in response to my recent column on checking wines as baggage when flying. Typical was this e-mail from Tim Y:

"Last year on our trip to Napa we had the wineries ship the wines directly. Since it was during the summer and we were driving, we did it to avoid the wines getting spoiled in the heat of our car. The shipping wasn't unreasonable either. Made it nice not to worry about the wines we'd purchased."

Many readers shared similar advice, thinking that they could avoid the airline hassles altogether (as well as the ever-increasing surcharges for extra bags) by having the wines shipped from the winery where they are purchased. This is a good solution -- in some instances. However, there are caveats:

* Some states ban all direct shipping; others prohibit just large wineries.

* Shipping charges can add up quickly if you are buying just a bottle or two at many different wineries.

* At least one shipper (Fed-Ex) specifically prohibits wine shipments from individuals to individuals.

Even if you (or the winery) succeed in using a shipping service, your wines still run the considerable risk of being damaged in transit -- by extreme weather conditions, by mishandling, or faulty packaging.

Believe it or not, I have heard of instances where wines that were being legally shipped were actually confiscated during transit through -- not to -- a state that prohibits shipment of alcoholic beverages! Even driving wines across state borders presents legal hurdles. If you want to bring wines into Washington, you are limited to two liters per person per month unless you either pay taxes or apply for a one-time-only exemption.

For more information, call the WSLCB at 360-664-1759.

* Paul Gregutt answers questions weekly. He can be reached at wine@seattletimes.com.

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